


What Poetry's For

by luftballons99



Category: Hades (Video Game 2018)
Genre: Anal Fingering, Banter, Fluff, Fluff and Smut, Humor, Idiots in Love, Light Dom/sub, M/M, Multiple Orgasms, Oral Sex, Overstimulation, Porn with Feelings, Praise Kink, Switch Thanatos (Hades Video Game), Switch Zagreus (Hades Video Game), Trans Male Character, Trans Zagreus (Hades Video Game), Vaginal Sex
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-03-06
Updated: 2021-03-06
Packaged: 2021-03-12 02:27:45
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 10,607
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29877705
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/luftballons99/pseuds/luftballons99
Summary: "I'm not insecure, Zagreus," Than tells him. And it's true, mostly."That's good." Zag's blunt nails graze Than's scalp. He feels the touch all the way to the base of his spine. "I just want to reaffirm that you've no reason to be."Thanatos rolls his eyes. "That, and you like seeing me squirm."Zag grins, wolflike. "What can I say?" His fingers leave Than's hair to fan out over his cheek. "Gold's your color."Or: Gods, too, can worship.
Relationships: Thanatos/Zagreus (Hades Video Game)
Comments: 20
Kudos: 142





	What Poetry's For

**Author's Note:**

> yes hades takes place in ancient greece but you know what? zagreus is trans and has a t-dick and flat chest because i say so. terms used for his genitals are cock, entrance, and hole. wow there is just no delicate way to write that disclaimer huh. anyway, enjoy!

Zagreus is bent over his lyre at the foot of his bed, stiff fingers dragging along the strings. He has many gifts - kindness, humor, strength. A musician's grace is evidently not among them. Still, Thanatos is content to lay in his bed and listen to him practice, admittedly admiring the flickering tendons in his hands more than the clumsy notes they produce. 

"You're getting better," Than tells him, not insincerely. It must be true, with how long Zag has been at it. The crimson sheets they're both draped in have been cool for a while now, and Than's cheek is going numb from being cradled by the inside of his forearm for just a little too long. He watches Zag huff, blowing out a floating laurel leaf from his circlet like an ember in the process. 

"Liar," he says and resumes his plucking.

"That's right, _lyre_. Very good."

Zagreus looks at him over his bare shoulder, incredulity and mirth inspiring an attractive, lopsided grin. "Who knew Death has a sense of humor? And a terrible one, at that."

"No one, I hope. I have a reputation."

The prince turns to him, the crimson sheet draped across his lap twisting around his narrow waist. His smile goes soft at the edges as he rests an elbow on his bent knee, tilting his head into his hand. Thanatos is still not quite used to how Zagreus looks at him these days-or-nights, besotted and completely unashamed of it, but being steeped in post-coital lethargy makes it easier to meet his lovestruck gaze with a coy little smile of his own. He folds his arms under his chin and looks right back. 

"Your reputation does not do you justice," Zagreus concludes after a long moment. "Are you sure your domain is death and not beauty? Or the very specific death of being fatally struck by your beauty, perhaps?"

Thanatos snorts, tipping his happy face down into his arms. "Aphrodite, Eros - your kin, Zag, not mine."

Zagreus sighs with all the drama of a tragedian. "Heavy is the crown." 

Thanatos shoves his arm, then his chest when the act does nothing but make the prince laugh. Zagreus snatches Than's wrist before it can slip away and pulls until he can press a kiss shaped like a smile squarely to the center of his palm. Thanatos feels heat bloom like poppies on his cheeks.

"Come here," he says, curling his hand under Zag's jaw. 

Zagreus flashes him a boyish grin. He tumbles into a crescent shape on his side, head falling next to Than's. Thanatos rests his cheek on his forearm, smile tucked behind his bicep as he studies Zag's upside-down face. 

"Hi," he murmurs, lifting a finger and dragging it in circles over Zag's cheek. It bunches under his touch when Zag's grin widens.

"Hi, my dearest," Zagreus whispers back. "Can I kiss you?"

Than knits his brow. "You still ask me that, as I lie naked in your bed?" He finds the warm bow of Zag's lips, more lethal than the famed weapon of Eros himself. It puckers under the pad of Than's finger in a shadow of a kiss. 

"Maybe I just like hearing you say yes."

Thanatos hums, finger dripping down his chin and under. He shifts his weight onto an elbow, leaning in to place a delicate, upside-down kiss to Zag's full bottom lip. 

"Yes," he whispers into the corner of Zag's mouth. A warm hand fits around the nape of his neck, and pulls. 

The kiss is sweet, the hard-earned ambrosia they shared earlier still on Zag's quiet breath. Thanatos drinks. Zagreus slips his lovely fingers into Than's hair. In this, at least, he _is_ graceful. 

"Do you really not believe me," he whispers, nosing along Than's cheek, "when I speak of your beauty?"

Thanatos snorts. "I believe you are a very adulatory lover." He kisses Zag's chin.

Gently, Zag's fingers close around Than's hair. "Maybe, but not facetiously so," he says. "Was the pathetic state you had me in an hour or so ago not proof enough of how attractive I find you?" Thanatos chuckles under his breath, stealing another quick kiss before Zag goes on with a mischievous smile. "Perhaps you need the self-doubt fucked out of you, could that be right?"

"I'm not _insecure_ , Zagreus," Than tells him. And it's true, mostly. 

"That's good." Zag's blunt nails graze Than's scalp. He feels the touch all the way to the base of his spine. "I just want to reaffirm that you've no reason to be."

Thanatos rolls his eyes. "That, and you like seeing me squirm."

Zag grins, wolflike. "What can I say?" His fingers leave Than's hair to fan out over his cheek. "Gold's your color."

The ichor flows hot into Than's face. He's certain Zagreus can feel it. 

"You're a fool," he mutters, but can't help but lean into his touch. 

"You're gorgeous," Zagreus returns. He sweeps his mouth over Than's, just the barest hint of his tongue touching his bottom lip. "Let me prove it to you."

Something in Than's abdomen flutters. "Alright," he whispers, and lets himself be kissed. It's clumsy like this; the angle doesn't quite allow languid, deep strokes of the tongue, but the breathless laughs they share between their lips are at least as good. Still Zagreus moves, always restless, until he's lying at Than's side the right way around, a strong arm slung across his waist. He pulls Thanatos close, kissing him again. 

With a hand on his shoulder, Than rolls him onto his back, and then Zagreus is spread out like a feast underneath him. Gods don't know hunger; Zagreus has taught him something close to it. He aches with it again now, cock beginning to fill in the crease of Zag's naked thigh. He kisses Zag's teeth, again bared in a grin, catching the words in his mouth when Zag whispers "There you are."

His strong hands carve a path up Than's back and down again, thumbs fitting into the dimples near the base of his spine. He kisses Than's butterfly pulse, tender and open-mouthed. 

Thanatos shivers, letting Zag's hands guide his hips into slow, rolling motions, cock dragging back and forth against skin and muscle. He breathes hot by Zagreus's ear, choking back the small noises of pleasure bubbling up from his throat. Zagreus smells like sweat and nectar and the fragrant oils he keeps nearby for whenever Thanatos finds himself in his bed, familiar as it is heady. 

"How can I please you, Thanatos?" Zag wonders softly, as if Than isn't already clay in his hands, rutting against him. He could come just from this if Zag let him, and soon. "I bleed like a mortal. I can pay you tribute like one, as well."

"Mortals fear Death," Thanatos whispers, shuddering when his cock slips along the slick heat between Zag's thighs. They split for him like two halves of a pomegranate as Zagreus laughs. Thanatos can feel it vibrate between their chests. 

"That's only because they haven't seen his ass," Zag purrs into his ear. He gives the asset an indulgent squeeze and Thanatos can't help but jerk his hips, moaning at the sweet pressure of it, cock pressing flush to Zag's entrance and the hardness at its crest. Zag answers with his own moan, digging his flame-licked heels into the mattress. His hands fly up to Than's face, pulling him down into a messy kiss. 

When a shared groan of pleasure breaks them apart, Zagreus asks again: "Beloved, how can I please you? Tell me."

_Beloved_ . Such endearments are only permissible in quiet, intimate moments like this, precisely because they draw pathetic, choked little noises from Than's throat. _Beloved, beloved, beloved_. Thanatos curls his arms tighter around Zag's back, quickening the languid pace of his hips into something more urgent.

"I'll take anything," he breathes into Zag's shoulder, the movements of his lips bleeding into messy kisses. "Anything you'll give me."

"Gods, I love you." Zagreus puts one hand on his shoulder, one on his waist, and rolls him onto his back. He straddles his hips, the sliver of space between his pussy and Than's cock humid and beckoning. Zagreus's own cock is hard, too, dusky pink over his folds, big enough to be a pleasant weight on Than's tongue. Earlier, he had it in his mouth for what felt like hours; he could have it there for longer still.

Zagreus trails his hands up his sides, massaging the firm ridges of muscle, until his palms are cupping his pectorals so his thumbs can brush his nipples. "You're a sight for sore eyes, you know that?"

Than huffs a breathless laugh. "If you say so," he says mildly, even as he arches his back, silently begging for more touch. He squeezes tenderly at Zag's hips, trying to coax him closer.

Zag tuts at him, stroking a thumb over Than's chin. He bows to kiss him, open and gentle, hands sliding under him to cradle his scapula. 

"You'll take anything I give you but a compliment, it would seem," he remarks in quiet amusement. After another long kiss, he straightens his spine again, his hips swiveling. He tips his head back with a low moan. He doesn't just bleed like a mortal, he bruises like one, too, red and violet splashed up the sides of his neck like wine from Than's earlier attentions. Thanatos wets his lips. Zagreus braces his hands on Than's chest, still rocking. "You feel so good, even just like this."

Thanatos feels out the firm muscles of Zag's abdomen, open hands squeezing up from hip to rib. He bites his lip, watching the plump lips of Zag's pussy stroke him up and down, coaxing dribbles of precum from the flushed head of his cock. 

"So do you," he breathes, tipping his head back onto the mattress, eyes falling shut. Zag's palms are a firm weight on his chest, keeping him pinned and grounded. "Zagreus…"

"Do you want me?" Zag asks, hips grinding a tight circle around Than's cock.

Thanatos groans. "You _know_ I do."

"Ask me to take you," Zagreus goes on sweetly. "Ask me to take you to pieces."

Than's spine curves like a bow, a high, thin noise hissing through his teeth like wind pierced by an arrow. His cock throbs between Zag's folds, precum dripping onto his fluttering abdomen, and he _can't_ , he can't put together a single thought, words falling apart on his tongue before they form; the only thing that makes any sense at all is " _Zagreus._ "

"I'll do it, you know," Zagreus murmurs, thumbs circling over Than's nipples. "I'll do anything for you. Anything you want, anything that pleases you." A hand leaves Than's chest and, not a moment later, trails a finger from the apple of his throat to under his chin, tipping it back. "Thanatos?"

Than's eyes stay screwed shut.

"Darling, look at me." Zag's hand shifts, palm opening against Than's cheek, thumb stroking tenderly under his eye. His hips still. "Should we stop?"

" _No_ ," Thanatos blurts, eyes snapping open only to find Zagreus grinning down at him. His mouth falls open for a moment, then shuts. 

"You're teasing me," he says. "I don't like it."

Zagreus lifts his eyebrows, wiggling his hips again. Thanatos bites back a moan. "Are you sure?"

"I thought you intended to spoil me," Thanatos says, dragging Zag's hips against his. "Not torture me."

Zagreus lets out a breathy laugh, leaning into the motion with ease. "Forgive me, Than. You're right. But, you know, it's hard for me to do so if you won't tell me what you want."

What _doesn't_ he want?

"Start making suggestions," Thanatos mumbles, palms smoothing up and down Zag's strong thighs. 

Zagreus hums. "I could go down on you," he offers, drawing his knuckles down the side of Than's face. "I could work you over with one of our toys and let you come inside me after." He leans in, placing a ghost of a kiss on Than's lips. "I could bring you pleasure over and over and over, a hundred times in a hundred ways, until you begged me to stop."

"I don't beg," Thanatos tells him, throat trembling.

Zag's eyes are so close Thanatos swears he feels the tickle of his lashes when they open. "You wanna bet?"

Thanatos bats him away so he can cross his arms over his face, hot to the tips of his ears. 

"Were all of those mutually exclusive?" he asks.

Somewhere above him, Zag laughs. Warm palms stroke down his sides and up again. "No, my love, they don't have to be."

Thanatos lowers his arms, brow heavy, chin quivering. He clears his throat. "Then I suppose you ought to get started."

Zagreus beams at him before sweeping him into a kiss. "I love you so much," he whispers, rubbing his nose against Than's. 

"I love you too," Thanatos sighs, curling his arms around Zag's middle. They stay there for a moment, foreheads pressed together, before Zagreus kisses his jaw, his chin, the hollow of his throat. He kisses a path from collarbone to rib, from rib to navel, until he's nuzzling the coarse silvery hair at the base of Than's cock.

Thanatos swallows, restless hands running through Zag's hair. He plucks the circlet of laurels off, setting it down somewhere at his side and propping himself up on an elbow. He can feel his cheeks glowing. 

"Dominance suits you, you know," he mumbles.

At this, Zagreus laughs, bright as a bell, his breath warm on the skin of Than's lower abdomen. Thanatos likes that they can laugh in bed; that they aren't different people before and after they've come. 

"Oh, does it? You're the only one who thinks so, I'd wager." Zagreus reaches up to stroke down Than's chest, follows the split in muscle from sternum to navel with his thumbs. He looks up at Than through his messy fringe. His touch is like warm honey. "Versatility is an asset, they say. You saw to my desire for assertiveness quite admirably earlier." A cat's smile passes over Zag's face at the memory. Thanatos scrapes his nails lightly over Zag's scalp. 

It was good. He took Zagreus from behind, pressed him flat against the mattress with his arms pinned behind his back. 

"I'm happy to do the same for you, Than," Zagreus goes on. He presses a warm kiss to his hip bone. "I like taking care of you. I like giving you what you deserve. Someone's got to."

The words do something funny to the pit of Than's stomach. "Not just anyone would do, you know," he mutters, brow scrunching.

"No, I know." Zag rubs soothing circles over Than's thighs as he slowly spreads them apart. "It's an honor that I'm the one you let see to your needs like this."

"' _Needs_ ,'" Thanatos huffs a little laugh. "'Need' is -- "

A velvet warmth washes over him, drowning the words he meant to say. Zagreus swallows his cock slowly, indulgently, eyes falling shut, jaw falling open. Thanatos can't help but moan, watching as Zagreus pushes his face down, down, down onto Than's cock, until his nose is buried in the coarse hair at its base. He can feel the muscles of Zag's throat working, the bead of saliva dribbling down his chin, the crescent-shaped bite of his nails in the meat of his thighs. 

"Gods, _Zagreus_ , that's -- " the sentence breaks when Zag pulls off him in one smooth motion, until just the crown of Than's cock rests on his tongue. Than hisses through his teeth, the hand he must have subconsciously moved to the back of Zag's head curling into a fist around his hair.

Zagreus sticks his tongue out and grins up at him, cheeks flushed, eyes shining. He takes Than's now wet cock in hand and strokes.

He clears his throat. "You were saying?"

"You terror," Thanatos groans feebly, head falling back onto the mattress so he can raise his hips instead. "Gods, don't stop, don't…"

"Shh, shh, shh," Zagreus hushes, holding Than's cock to his cheek like a hand. "I've got you, Thanatos."

"Suck me," Than pants, bucking his hips. His cock slips out of Zag's loose grip, foreskin catching on the soft ridge of his cheekbone. Than wets his lips. "Don't - Don't stop." He pulls Zagreus in by the hair, gentle but firm.

If his mouth weren't busy, Thanatos has a feeling Zag would be smiling. If there were a patron God of fellatio, it would be him. He alternates between swallowing Than into the tight, wet clutch of his throat and suckling at his head, tongue teasing precum from the slit. Thanatos tries desperately to keep his hips still, but they can't help twitching up to chase the molten heat of Zag's mouth. He busies himself with Zag's mess of dark hair as a distraction, combing his fringe back from his forehead with trembling fingers, scratching at the soft tuft above his nape. Zagreus hums in appreciation, sucking the head of Than's cock into the hollow of his cheek.

"You're incredible," Thanatos moans, neck aching from craning down for so long. But he won't miss this, the way Zagreus licks and sucks like he was born for it; the way he has one hand cupped around Than's ass and one tucked between his own legs, rubbing his swollen cock. Not for a second.

Zagreus makes another pleased noise and gives him one more long suck before letting Than's cock slip out of his mouth and smack wet and hard against his abdomen. He sucks kisses into the crease of his thigh, kneading his ass almost desperately. 

"Gods above, you drive me crazy," he says in a shuddering breath, pressing his face into Than's belly. What he says next comes out muffled and warm against Than's skin. "Do you have any idea what you sound like?"

Thanatos tries to hide his mouth behind the back of a hand, despite the fact that Zag isn't even looking. "Loud...?"

" _No_ \- Well, yes, but," Zagreus crawls over him, burying his face in the side of Than's neck with a helpless chuckle, "I was going to say you sound like," he opens his mouth, licking Than's pulse with a groan. "Gods, I don't know. Outrageously erotic. I've no gift for metaphor."

Thanatos tilts his head, humming in amusement despite himself. "Perhaps Orpheus could help you with that, too."

Zagreus laughs like air. "I could sing you poetry," he says, dreamlike. "I could write hymns about your ass."

Thanatos tips his forehead onto Zag's shoulder, trembling with mirth. "You're ridiculous, Zagreus."

"I know, I know." Zag presses a quick but sure kiss to Than's cheek, a hand moving to cradle his hips. "So, my dear, shall I fulfill my promise?" He grins, crooked and perfect. "Shall I make love to you?"

Than's cheeks glow gold. He lifts his head, peering over Zag's shoulder to scan the shelf behind the bed. 

"Toy's over there," he murmurs, patting Zag's ribs to get his attention, then pointing to the elegant glass dildo sitting in front of a volume of poetry when Zag twists around.

"Won't be a moment." Zag leaves him with a sweet kiss to the tip of his nose, returning a few seconds later with the toy in question and a small vial of lavender oil. He kneels between Than's legs, bowing to suck at his cock, restoring it to its previous, agonizing hardness. Thanatos squirms, tossing a wrist over his mouth. 

Zagreus allows him his moment of bashfulness, sliding a pillow under the small of his back. Then he pops the vial's stopper with a practiced thumb, pouring the viscous fluid over his fingers. A few stray drops flick onto Than's splayed thighs, cool and silky when they run down his skin. He shivers, drawing Zag's attention away from his own fingers.

Zagreus smiles. "Alright?"

Thanatos nods. "Just...hurry."

"Oh, eager, are we?" Maybe he meant to tease, but his voice is all love. Thanatos can feel it in his marrow. Zagreus leans over the side of the bed, setting the vial down on the floor.

"Yes," Thanatos sighs, trying not to smile when Zagreus makes an affectionate little noise in the back of his throat. He slings Than's leg over his shoulder so he can kiss the side of his knee.

"I've got you," he says, fingers finally seeking out Than's hole. Than's breath hitches. Zag hushes him, stroking the pad of a finger around the sensitive, puckered skin. "There you are. I'm going to touch you inside, now, alright?"

Thanatos feels heat buzz beneath his skin, a beehive coming to life behind his ribs. 

"Yes," he says again, wetting his lips. 

Zagreus rubs his cheek against the side of Than's knee, one warm hand cradling his thigh before the other gently presses a finger inside him. Thanatos sighs in relief, hips tilting into the contact.

"Beautiful," Zagreus says. He pushes deeper, the flat of his finger rubbing along Than's inner walls, and it doesn't feel like much yet, but it's Zagreus, and that makes it good.

Thanatos allows him to take his time, enjoying the gentle exploration of his finger until he adds another, and another, and Than is rocking against his hand in earnest, little grunts of pleasure escaping his lips. 

"Zagreus," he says, voice rough, "Sometime tonight, if you please."

Zagreus hums a skeptical tone, crooking his fingers. Thanatos feels his touch all the way up his spine. "Are you sure you're ready?"

Thanatos has just enough presence of mind to mutter, "Don't patronize me."

"Wouldn't dream of it," Zag tells him, and gently slips his fingers out. Than shivers. "Do you want to stay on your back? Or would you prefer a different position?"

"Like this is fine. Only…" Thanatos crooks the knee he has slung over Zag's shoulder, pulling him in. "I want you closer to me."

Zagreus grins, wiping his fingers on the sheets before tipping forward until he flops gracelessly on top of Than. Thanatos grunts, maintaining a put-upon scowl even as Zag peppers his jaw with kisses.

"You're a treasure," Zag says between clumsy presses of his lips, "You're so precious."

"Yes, alright, alright - " Zagreus tilts his head to nip at Than's pulse point, " - _Hnnf._ " Thanatos bucks his hips, cock sliding neatly into the groove between the muscles of Zag's abdomen. Zagreus nibbles at his ear. "I said _now._ "

"You _could_ ask nicely," Zag purrs, warm lips brushing his earlobe. "I'm a prince, you know."

"And a royal pain," Than drawls, but can't help but smile when Zagreus laughs in response. He rolls his hips again, a silent demand, and finally Zagreus moves, propping himself up on his elbows to kiss Than's temple. 

His lips curve into a smile on his skin, the words they shape warm and husky when he whispers, "Not yet I'm not."

Thanatos snorts even as his toes curl in delight, Zag's sudden suaveness somehow made all the funnier by the fact that it's actually working on him. He never expected he would laugh this much, in bed or anywhere else. But humor and lovemaking go hand in hand with Zagreus, and it never fails to make Than's chest warm. 

"Do your worst," he dares, falling just a little bit more in love when Zagreus flashes him a champion's grin over his shoulder, bent over the side of the bed to grab the vial of oil again.

When Thanatos looks at him, he thinks he understands how it feels to be mortal; why they leave flowers and wine at their altars. He understands what it means to worship.

Zagreus rolls onto the mattress and shuffles down to reach for the dildo, hidden somewhere in the crimson tangle of sheets.

"You're taller than me," he says, and Thanatos doesn't miss the slightest hint of petulance in his voice, "so this might be the best way." He curls into Than's side, cheek resting just below his ribs, and lets his hand cup the inside of Than's thigh. He strokes the soft skin with his thumb. 

A fresh pulse of heat warms Thanatos to the bone. He can't see Zag's face like this, but he can cradle it in his palm, holding him close. His free hand sinks into Zag's wild hair, raking through it with his fingers.

Zag sighs, his breath teasing goosebumps out of Than's skin. "That's nice," he says, and Thanatos can feel the way his jaw moves when he talks. He turns his face into Than's belly, giving it a warm kiss. His palm leaves Than's thigh, the skin cool in its absence. A moment later Thanatos feels it curl gently around his cock, thumb rubbing at the head. It throbs in his grip, and Thanatos pets Zag's cheek in encouragement. Zagreus presses another kiss to Than's belly, soft and open.

"Okay, beloved," he whispers into the skin. He lets go of Than's cock, fumbles around in the sheets for a few moments, before something cool and slick presses to his entrance. Than's breath stops for a moment, anticipation beating hard in his chest. "Spread your legs for me...That's it, perfect."

Another kiss, just above Than's navel. "I'm going to fuck you now, alright?"

He's always so tender, in moments like this. Tender enough to ache.

Thanatos cradles his head, wishing he could kiss him. "By all means."

The toy enters him slowly but easily, pushing until Thanatos can feel the heel of Zag's palm brush the sensitive skin behind his balls. Than draws his knees up and lets them fall open, deep, rippling pleasure spreading all the way to the tips of his toes. The dildo is ribbed near the head with a slight upward curve, filling him deliciously with every pump of Zag's wrist. 

Zagreus keeps offering sweet kisses to Than's fluttering stomach as he works him open, thrusting slow and steady. 

"Alright, my sweet?" he asks, brushing his lips over Than's skin.

Thanatos nods before realizing Zagreus can't see him. "Mhm," he hums, tenderly squeezing the nape of Zag's neck. It's good, this leisurely pace. Zag chases his own pleasure greedily, but servicing Thanatos, he takes his time. He looks at and touches him like he's carving him out of marble. Maybe there is hope for his artistic pursuits yet. 

Than enjoys it for a few minutes longer, stretching like a cat in a sun patch under Zag's loving attentions, until the pleasure curling low in his belly grows edges sharp enough to ache.

"Faster?" he breathes, scratching through Zag's hair.

"Anything you want," Zagreus tells him, and finds home inside Than in one smooth thrust.

Thanatos tosses his head back, groaning through his teeth. Zagreus, ever attentive, strikes the same spot again and again, his grin warm on Than's skin, stoking the embers of pleasure simmering in Than's core. His cock leaks where it lays heavy on his hip, and finally he reaches for it, trying to soothe the ache with quick, fumbling strokes. He bears down on the toy, urging it deeper.

"Zagreus," he pants, muscles straining as he arcs his back, clutching the scruff of Zag's neck. "I'll come if we go on like this."

Zag is so earnest, so gentle. "Then come," he says.

Thanatos shakes his head; he _wants_ to come, but he doesn't want to _finish_. "But I - Then we -- "

Zag hushes him, even as his wrist quickens pace, the toy glancing almost painfully over the point of Than's pleasure. Than's jaw falls open around a silent cry.

"I'm not going anywhere, my love," Zagreus says, lips brushing a rib as he speaks. "I'll always get you here again."

Than could weep; could toss himself at Zag's feet in gratitude. " _Darling_ ," he whines, petting the space between his shoulder blades because he can't kiss it. He can feel Zag smile against him.

"It's such a miracle, fucking you like this," he sighs with a devilish twist of his wrist. Than grips his hair as if he might lose balance otherwise. "Can't believe I get to have you, get to hold you together while I make you fall apart."

Than squeezes his eyes shut, tears of unknown origin spilling down across his temples. He sobs Zagreus's name.

He feels Zag lift his head, body twisting at Than's side as he keeps his thrusts focused and steady. "Oh, look at you. Just look at you. Gods, Than." His forehead presses between Than's ribs. "Come for me, won't you?"

Than's body tenses, vibrating like it's about to shatter. 

"Just like that," Zagreus tells him. "That's it, love, just let go. Just let me fill you. Just let go."

It's all too easy. Thanatos comes with a strangled cry, hips straining up, up, up as liquid warmth paints his stomach. Zag fucks him through to the other side of pleasure with hushed sweet nothings until Thanatos tugs at his hair, overstimulated. 

Zagreus pulls out, tosses the toy aside, wipes Than's belly with the corner of a sheet, and climbs over him like a spidermonkey. Thanatos would be powerless to stop him even if he wanted to, still raw and catching his breath. He allows his face to be peppered in kisses, tender praise murmured between each one. His eyes remain shut as he wraps Zag in his still-trembling arms, soaking up his warmth like he's sinking into a bath.

Lips brush Than's brow, a forearm sliding under his neck. Finally, his eyes flutter open.

Zagreus is smiling down at him, gently rubbing away the tear-tracks on Than's skin, his mismatched eyes in happy little crescents. He leans in slowly, warm lips giving Than a delicate kiss on the mouth. He brushes their noses together afterwards, face scrunched in delight.

"It never gets old," he says, "watching you come." His head tilts so he can kiss his way up the side of Than's face. Thanatos heaves a shuddering breath, arms tightening around Zag's middle. He tucks his head into the curve of Zag's shoulder, breathing him in. He can tell that Zag isn't finished with him yet; can feel his cock pressed up against his hip bone and the hot slick of his arousal. But Zagreus is patient for once, content, for the moment, to kiss warmth into Than's cheek, Than's jaw, Than's temple.

"Zagreus," he sighs, nuzzling the side of his neck. His palm slides between his scapula, pressing him closer. "You're so good to me." Tears spring from his eyes anew, bringing with them a nakedness that clothing would do nothing to hide. "I really do love you."

Zagreus chuckles, all warmth. "I love you too, Than." His neck twists and his jaw falls open to give a playful bite to the apple of Than's cheek. "I love making you feel nice. I love being good to you. I do."

Thanatos lets his hands wander, feeling out the lean musculature of Zag's back. "I want to bring you pleasure, too," he mumbles into Zag's neck. "If you give me a few moments, I…"

"Shhh," Zagreus soothes, arm shifting underneath Than so his hand can cradle the base of his skull. "Take your time. Sweetheart, I'm not in any hurry."

Thanatos trembles. "I love you. Eternally."

"Oh, my gentle Death…" Zagreus leans sideways, pulling Thanatos with him. "Come here. Come to me." He tugs Than's arm around his waist, holding his head to his chest. Thanatos can hear his heart, ear pressed to his pectoral. 

He sniffs. "Forgive me," he says, voice a quiet waver. "I don't know what's come over me." It's not like this is the first time Zagreus has been sweet with him. He can feel it, how loved he is. How can something be at once so comforting and so overwhelming?

"Do you want to know what I think?" Zagreus says, his words quiet rumbles in Than's ear as he runs his fingers through his mussed hair. "I think this is proof that you need to be spoiled more often. No lover of mine is to be this unused to the feeling." He kisses the top of Than's head with a decisive _mwah_. "You're far too lovely for that."

Thanatos doesn't answer, squeezing Zag tighter for a moment before running his hand over Zag's chest and down to his abdomen. It's true, Thanatos is taller than him, but Zagreus is at least as strong, the proof of it in the firm muscle meeting the hollow of Than's palm. In his embrace, Thanatos feels secure.

"You would know about loveliness, I suppose," he concedes.

"Are you calling me lovely?" A feigned note of surprise is rich in Zag's smiling voice.

Thanatos tucks his face into the firm pillow of Zag's chest. "Mmn."

A finger twirls a strand of hair on the back of Than's head. "Do you know how cute you are?"

His voice is low. It makes Than's skin tingle. "Never in all my eons has anyone dared to call me such a thing," he says, drowsy warmth in every word.

"Never in all your eons has anyone known you as well as I do," Zag replies. 

Thanatos has to snort at the sheer presumptuous arrogance of it. Zagreus says he knows him like nothing in the world makes him prouder, happier. Maybe hubris is not always such an ugly thing.

Thanatos kisses the spot over Zag's heart, drawing a circle around his navel. It dips away from his finger when Zag sucks in a sharp breath. Than lifts his head in question.

Zagreus looks away, wetting his lips. "I...may not be as patient as I thought."

Than's chest feels too tight. He crawls over Zagreus to sweep him into a long kiss, a hand sliding up his throat to angle his jaw. He feels Zagreus swallow against his palm. Zag's hands scurry over his back before settling on his hips with an indulgent squeeze. Excitement flutters in Than's belly again.

"I'm not patient, either," he whispers. He lowers his hips to Zag's, humming when their cocks brush. Zagreus trails a hand down to his ass, squeezing tight and drawing him closer. He's breathing hard now, red filling his cheeks. Than kisses him again.

"I want you so badly," Zag rasps into his mouth, cock grinding circles against Than's. "I want this inside me. Want you to tell me," his breath stutters, "to tell me how good it feels." His hand lets go of Than's ass only to seize it again with a firm _clap_ that makes Than jump _._ He bites his lip. "I want you to beg me to let you come inside."

Thanatos feels his pride burn to ash. How could he ever be ashamed to beg from Zagreus? Who _wouldn't_ beg, at his mercy? He shoves a hand between them, stroking himself to full hardness with hurried movements. "You - You don't need my mouth first?"

Zagreus shakes his head, looking dizzy. "No, I -- Maybe after." He tilts his chin up for a quick kiss. "I'm wet enough. Let me take you now."

Thanatos huffs, pressing their foreheads together. Zag's thighs hug his waist, ankles crossed at the small of his back. His hands brush Than's hair out of his face. 

"I'm ready," Zag says, knuckles dragging across Than's cheekbone. "I want you."

Thanatos aligns his cock with Zag's entrance and pushes, moaning before the head has even finished breaching him. 

"That's it, that's it -- _Gods_ , yes," Zagreus urges, petting the sides of Than's face in encouragement. "Just take it all, Than, just take what you need. I'll give it all to you."

"Feels so good," Thanatos tells him, hips rocking back and forth, gradually wetting his cock with Zag's slick so he can push in deeper and deeper every time. "Gods, so warm and soft inside..."

Zagreus answers with a breathless laugh. "I love when you talk like that." 

Thanatos ignores him, presses deeper into the wet squeeze of Zag's hot inner walls. Zag shudders, smart mouth silenced by the teeth catching his bottom lip. Thanatos stops, lets them both adjust to the feeling of his cock fully buried inside him. 

Zagreus takes a few slow breaths, pushing his fingers through Than's fringe to comb it back. It falls right back into place. Thanatos blows it out of his eyes, to the same effect. They chuckle quietly, noses bumping, before Zagreus coaxes him into a tender kiss. There's so much love here.

"Sometimes I think we could just stay like this," he whispers, eyes wistful as he strokes Than's chin with his thumb. "Just have you sit inside me for hours and hours, just letting me keep your cock warm." He clenches around Than's length, smile going cocky when muttered curses fall from Than's mouth.

"I could live inside you," Than slurs, starting to go delirious on the knife's-edge of pleasure. He lowers his chin to catch Zag's thumb between his teeth, drawing Zag's gaze just in time to see Than's tongue swipe the edge of his nail. Than goes hot at the attention, watching Zagreus watching him. He gives the pad of his thumb a kiss. 

"You're so hot and," another kiss, this time to the base of it, "perfect and…" He rocks his hips once, trying to inch deeper, tucking his face into Zag's palm. "Blood and darkness, Zagreus."

"Hard to keep still, isn't it?" Zag teases, even as his own voice trembles with need. "I know the feeling." He brushes a thumb over Than's cheek. "You can move. Just let go for me. Let yourself feel good."

Thanatos coils his arms around Zag's middle, anchoring them together before drawing his hips back. Zagreus crosses his arms behind Than's neck, his grip going hard when Than slams back in. 

"Fuck, Than," he moans, reedy and desperate. Thanatos drops his head onto the mattress above Zag's shoulder, pumping his cock in and out at a steady pace. If he picks up speed, he'll come in moments. Whatever Zag's plans are, Thanatos wants him to come first.

"You feel heavenly," he breathes. "You're so hot and wet, Zagreus, you're a wonder."

Zag's arms shift so he can dig his nails into Than's back. "You're so good for me," he pants, cheek pressed to the side of Than's head, "fucking me so sweetly. Your cock is so good..." His voice drops in a low groan, nails dragging down Than's skin. 

Thanatos grunts with each thrust, gritting his teeth. "Zagreus," he chokes out. "Zagreus, my love, I'm so…" He swallows before gasping when Zagreus pulses around him again.

"Tell me," Zag urges him, "tell me, tell me everything. What do you need, darling?"

"You first, I -- " Thanatos bites his lip and slows down, the pressure at the base of his cock building too much too fast. "I want you to come first."

"Fuck," Zag grits out, thighs flexing around Than's hips as he bucks against his cock. Thanatos grabs one of his knees and pushes until it's pinned back by Zag's chest, plunging in even deeper like this, the sweet friction against his cock tempting him to go faster. After steeling himself with a sobering breath, he does.

"Gods, fuck, just like that," Zagreus babbles on, hands running up and down his neck as if in gratitude. Than maintains his pace, sweat beading at his hairline, making a conscious effort to take note of every twitch of Zag's muscles; every crack in his voice. "Thanatos, don't stop, my love, you're doing so well, filling me so nicely -- "

"And you," Than pants, shoving his free hand between them to service Zag's cock, " _taking_ my cock so nicely -- Zagreus, gods, _Zagreus._ " He wants to kiss him, wants to eat him raw. He fucks him faster.

" _There_ ," Zagreus cries, the heels of his hands pressed against his eyes, "fuck, fuck, Thanatos, sweetheart," and Thanatos can _feel_ it when he comes, his soft, scalding insides clenching around Than's cock, sucking him in with a gush of liquid heat. That and the delirious awe that overcomes him every time he brings Zagreus pleasure rip a desperate groan from Than's throat.

"Yeah, darling, just perfect," Zagreus gasps right at the heels of his orgasm, flushed red and dewy down to his chest. "You're so good, you made me come so hard, Than, you're so good." Thanatos moans, letting go of Zag's knee to curl his arms under his back, hands grappling his shoulders. His forehead drops to Zag's collarbone, thrusts going clumsy as he chases his own release. 

Zagreus wraps his arms around him, spreading his legs, inviting him deeper. "That's it, beautiful, that's it," he murmurs somewhere above Than's head, like a blessing. "You're doing so well, do you know that? You're doing so wonderfully."

"Zagreus," Than breathes before dipping his head to lick the salt off Zag's skin, tongue following the groove between his pectorals. "Zag." He nuzzles him, affection and arousal making him dizzy. "I love you so much, I'm burning, I…"

"What is it, Than? Are you close?" Than nods helplessly with a strangled whine that he smothers in the side of Zag's neck. "Oh, Thanatos." Zagreus rubs his palms over his shoulders, soothing and agonizing. "Where do you want to come?" he asks, like a teacher prompting a student, knowing the answer.

"Inside," Than moans, voice cracking. He bucks harder into Zag's pussy, unbearably slick from his orgasm; he slides into him with no resistance, just barely enough friction. "I want - I want to come inside you."

"Are you going to ask me nicely now?" Zag's voice is pitched low and smooth as he traces the jut of Than's shoulder blades with his fingers. "Are you going to beg?"

Thanatos would like to say it's no easy thing, making Death beg. For anyone but Zagreus, that's probably true; no one else has ever tried. But this is easy as breathing, as floating, as falling.

Thanatos nods into him. "Yes," he whines, "Yes, yes, a thousand times yes, please, Zag, _please_." 

"Oh, my dearest, listen to you." Zag's voice, too, is desperate now. "Just a little bit longer, Than, I promise. Please what?"

"Please let me come in you," Thanatos sobs, hips stuttering, "please, I need it, please - "

"I've got you." Zag drapes his arms around Than's neck, kissing the side of his head. "Do it, love. Come inside me, let me feel it. You've been so good."

Thanatos is coming before the endearment even leaves Zag's lips, crying his name. He pushes in to the hilt, spilling deep inside him as his hips twitch in the aftershocks. Zagreus is hushing him, he realizes vaguely, Zag's strong, tender hands brushing through his hair. After a few moments, Than shifts and slips out of him, breath quivering at the cool air on his softening cock, Zag's wetness dripping from it onto the sheets. He shivers before his bones go liquid, body limp on top of Zag's.

Zagreus rumbles a tired but nonetheless cheerful laugh. "Poor babe. Have I tuckered you out?"

Thanatos lets out a prolonged grunt muffled in Zag's chest, waiting for everything to stop tingling.

"I'll take that as a yes," Zag says, ruffling his hair. 

Thanatos turns his head so his cheek is pressed to Zag's pectoral, eyes closed. A stray hair tickles his nose; he can't bring himself to care. "Some of us have a refractory period."

Zagreus pats his back. "Must be terrible."

"It is. I'd like to fuck you into a stupor. As revenge." There's a little flicker of heat in his abdomen from the thought alone.

Zagreus seems to feel it, too. "That would certainly be an ambitious undertaking," he muses, tracing the shell of Than's ear after tucking some hair behind it. "But I'm nothing if not optimistic."

Than snorts. "Optimistic, foolhardy, reckless…"

"Semantics." Than can hear Zag's grin.

"Quite."

"But seriously," Zag says then, bundling Than up in his arms. He bends to kiss the top of his head. "That was good for you?" Another kiss. "You're alright?"

Thanatos smiles, stroking Zag's flank. "Better than," he mumbles, tipping his face up, eyes still shut. Zag kisses his mouth without a moment's hesitation, dry and warm. "And you? I...You're satisfied?"

"Yes, Than, I'm satisfied," Zagreus chuckles, hugging Than to his chest. 

Thanatos finds this odd; Zag's appetite tends to be insatiable. "You could have my mouth, if you want."

Zagreus hums. "You seem a little tired for that."

"I want to." Than tucks a kiss under his jaw. "You only came once, this time."

"It's not a competition."

"It could be," Thanatos murmurs, gently walking his fingers up Zag's ribs until they brush his nipple. "I'm fond of those."

Zag swallows. "Pah. You'd lose."

"Zagreus," Thanatos says, propping himself up on an elbow to look at his lover's face. He's flushed from cheek to cheek. Than's brow furrows, gaze soft. "Do you need to come again?"

Zagreus sucks in his lips, glancing away. 

"I'd like to," he says at length. He closes his eyes, tipping his head to give Than a kiss. "You're good with your mouth."

Than lifts a hand to Zag's warm cheek, smiling into the corner of his lips. He kisses him there. "Will you talk to me?"

"Talk to you?" Zag's fingers stroke leisurely along his spine. 

"Like before," Thanatos elaborates. His ears go hot. "I liked it. The things you said."

Zagreus grins. "Like how good you are for me?" he says, bumping Than's nose with his own. "Like how sweet you sound?"

Thanatos won't have another round in him for a while yet, but the words still have an electrifying effect on him. Suddenly he begins kissing his way down Zag's body, Zag's delighted laughter following him; his stomach flexes with it under Than's lips, and something about that makes Than have to tamp down laughter of his own. 

His mouth finds the faint trail of hair under Zag's navel and he swipes it with his tongue before giving it a kiss. Zagreus brushes Than's fringe out of his forehead, spreading his legs. Than can feel the heat of his arousal; can smell it as he presses his lips to his mound. Coarse dark hair tickles him from nose to chin until he pulls away, looking down.

Zag's cock is swollen and pink, glistening folds draping down from it on either side like curtains parted around his entrance. Milky wetness still clings to him from his release, sticky on his plump outer lips and inner thighs, and when Thanatos pushes back against the skin just above Zag's cock with his thumb, Zag shudders and a trickle of Than's own cum slides out of his hole. Than wants to lick it up.

"Enjoying the view?" Zagreus chuckles breathlessly, tugging at a strand of Than's hair.

Thanatos lifts his thumb, hand snaking up Zag's belly. He looks up at him, face warm.

"You're beautiful," he breathes, turning to kiss the inside of his thigh. The skin sticks to his lips for a moment when he pulls away. He licks them. "If a bit messy."

"I'll take it," Zagreus tells him with a warm smile. He wiggles his eyebrows. "You look good down there."

Thanatos dips his chin to hide his grin, shaking his head. He maneuvers Zag's legs so they drape over his shoulders and back, propping himself up on his elbows and keeping a steadying hold on Zag's hips. He feels almost giddy, his heart light, skin buzzing. He looks up through the trench of Zag's thighs.

Zagreus meets his eyes. Than's delight must show on his face, because after a moment Zag's lips quirk into a curious smile. "What?"

"I just love you," Thanatos says. It still surprises him how easily the words come out.

Zagreus grins wider, tonguing the inside of his cheek. He jerks his chin at him. "Show me."

Thanatos tips his head down, opens his lips, and slowly sucks down Zag's cock. Zagreus hums, hands smoothing over Than's hair in gentle encouragement. Thanatos licks him, filling his mouth with his familiar taste. He pushes his face deeper between Zag's thighs, rubbing the flat of his tongue against the tip of Zag's cock before swirling it around the shaft. Saliva pools at the bottom of his mouth and he slurps.

"Mmn, fuck," Zagreus mutters with a little roll of his hips, then repeats the motion after he discovers it gives his wet folds friction against Than's chin. Than cups his hips, not to guide but to support. If Zag wants to fuck his mouth, he can. "Look at you, sucking me off. How'd I get so lucky, hm?"

Thanatos hums, both because he appreciates the praise and because he knows the vibrations will make Zag's hips twitch. He pulls off of his cock and mouths lower, eating him like handfuls of pomegranate seeds. He tastes perfect, all salt and tang, and Than moans, massaging Zag's hip bones with his thumbs.

"Mmn, hah," Zagreus goes, swiveling his hips. His cock bumps Than's nose and Than huffs an incredulous laugh through it. "Than, let me - " Thanatos sticks out his tongue, swirling the tip around Zag's cock, " - _Fuck_ , okay, yeah, I need to be on top of you." Gently but firmly, Zagreus roots his fingers in Than's hair and tips his head up. A thrill shoots down Than's spine at being handled like that, the molten look in Zag's eyes only intensifying the feeling. "What d'you say? Can I ride that beautiful face, love?"

Thanatos licks his lips with a drunken nod.

This way, on his back with his head bracketed between a strong pair of thighs, he has to take things at Zag's pace, and it feels good. He cups his hands around Zag's hips like a pitcher of wine, dutifully swallowing everything he's given. Zagreus fucks the flat of his tongue in tight little circles, head tipped down to look right into Than's eyes as he moans his pleasure.

"You might as well be a siren," Zagreus sighs, half-dreaming. Than stares up at him with slow-blinking eyes, face hot between Zag's legs. "You have no idea how irresistible you are, do you, Than?"

Than's brows draw together as he moans sweetly into Zag's pussy, not breaking eye contact. He pushes his chin forward, nestling closer, licking hungrily around Zag's entrance and back up to his cock. Zagreus pitches forward, hands braced on the mattress above Than's head. A reedy string of curses leaves his mouth as he grinds down harder on Than's.

"Gods, you know just what to do, don't you," he slurs, head dropping between his shoulders. Like this, Than can see that familiar look of rapture on Zag's face, the way his brow twists and his mouth drops open, with perfect clarity. "You're lovely, Thanatos, you're perfect. There's not a thing about you that doesn't turn me on." His voice drips with desperate sincerity that makes Than's eyes sting. 

Zagreus wets his lips before continuing, still fucking Than's face. "I-I see you standing in the West Hall sometimes and I just have to stop and look at you." He laughs, helpless and breathless. "You and your trim little waist, I swear. All you have to do to get me hard is stand there."

Thanatos wants so badly to say his name, to say he loves him, to say he feels the same, whether Zagreus is covered in blood and viscera or bent naked over his lyre. Thanatos, even nestled between Zag's legs, can't stop longing, and it's with that thought that he realizes he's hard again, his hips bucking against nothing. He whines.

"And your voice, _gods._ " Zagreus is merciless now, both with his words and his thrusts. "I've never liked my name so much as when you say it, Than. And I know you're not the only one who has it, but your accent is so - _oh_ , blood and darkness, I'm - " Zag's voice spirals up into hitching moans, the rhythm of his hips getting sloppier. Thanatos makes low noises of encouragement, hands massaging Zag's waist. He feels the small of his back push up against his fingers as Zagreus arches his spine.

"I love you so much," he cries just before his hips stutter and his voice melts into a drawn-out moan. Thanatos licks him up, shutting his eyes as Zagreus rocks against him, riding out his pleasure. He tastes himself in Zag's release. His ears are ringing, his jaw aches, and he feels perfect. When Zagreus finally stills, Than opens his eyes again. 

Zagreus is panting above him, his face red as he stares down at Thanatos with glazed eyes. His arms and legs quiver when he slowly raises his hips up from Than's face. He climbs off of him, trembling like a fawn, and looks just about ready to collapse before his gaze catches on Than's stiff cock. He licks his lips, glancing up to Than's face, and suddenly he's a lion at the hunt.

"Please," Thanatos whispers, breathing hard. He barely even knows what he's begging for.

Zagreus slinks over him, swooping in for a messy kiss, all tongue and teeth, and it hurts, but it hurts more when he pulls away. He wipes Than's puffy bottom lip with his thumb.

"You taste like me," he tells him through a grin. His eyes glint like the polished edge of a blade as his hand cups Than's chin, keeping their gaze locked. "I bet you do down there, too."

Thanatos is shivering all over; he can see it in his hands when he reaches up to loop his arms around Zag's neck. His breath ripples in the pocket of space between them. 

"Do you want me to find out?" Zagreus sweeps the side of his finger back and forth under Than's chin. "Do you want me to lick you until you scream?" 

Thanatos answers with a feverish nod, too far gone for words. He pulls Zagreus down into a deep kiss, whimpering around his tongue.

"I love you," Zag rasps when they part, crawling down Than's body. He pauses to leave wet kisses on the center of his chest, his navel, his hip, never breaking eye contact. Thanatos watches his hand feel around the sheets for something, emerging after a few moments with the dildo. Than's heartbeat doubles. "You're still nice and loose for me, aren't you, sweetheart? You can take this again, can't you?"

Thanatos wobbles to his elbows, nodding again. When he finds his voice, it's in pieces. "Hurry," is all he can manage to say.

Zagreus settles between his legs, spitting in his palm and slicking the dildo with it. Than lifts his knees, feet flat on the mattress on either side of Zag. A shudder rushes through him when Zagreus palms his balls, his touch light. With his other hand, he lines up the dildo with Than's hole.

Slowly, he strokes up the length of Than's cock, squeezing under the head. Than bucks his hips, a helpless noise biting through his teeth. Zagreus grins like he's drunk, shifting aside and bending so he can fit his mouth around Than's cock and push into his hole at the same time. 

"Oh, fuck," Thanatos cries. He scrabbles for Zag's free hand; locks their fingers together like a keepsake. Zagreus is sloppy, desperate licks and sucks trailing down his shaft. He shoves the dildo in fast and deep. Than's nails dig into the back of his hand. "Zag, please, please…"

Zagreus hums, tongue busy massaging Than's balls. He hits the perfect spot inside him again and again, like striking a stubborn flint. Thanatos already feels like he's on fire.

"I can't," he moans, pulling Zag's hand and clutching it to his chest, "Zagreus, I can't take it, it's too mu -- _oh_ ," Zag's hand and mouth stop. Thanatos feels gutted, hollow. He whips his head down to see Zagreus grinning up at him. 

"You said it was too much," he explains. He gives the toy inside Thanatos a little twist. Than jolts. "I figured you needed a break."

Oh, Thanatos could cry. "Don't stop," he begs, almost hysterical. "Zagreus, you can't, you promised."

Zagreus hushes him and slowly begins thrusting into him again. Thanatos can't help the broken little _yes_ that floats out of him. 

"Just let me worry about how much you can take," Zag says, voice low. He kisses Than's hip, tenderly brushing his thumb over Than's hand. "I'll get you there, Than, don't you worry. I'll make you come. Just at my pace."

Thanatos responds with a strangled whine. " _Torture_."

Zagreus shakes his head. "It'll feel good this way, I promise." He pulls their joined hands to him, pressing his lips to the back of Than's. "I love you. I'll always make it good for you."

The words are irrationally comforting. Tears roll down Than's blazing cheeks.

Zag's face softens. "If it's really too much, you remember our word, don't you?"

Than nods.

Zagreus smiles. "Of course you do." His voice is molten. "That's how good you are, Thanatos." He licks the strip of skin behind Than's balls, not breaking eye contact. Thanatos whimpers. "And sexy, besides."

The hand not clasped in Zag's rises to cover Than's face. "Zagreus," he whines, "fuck me, please, fuck me, make me come."

Zagreus obliges at a punishing pace. "You're a vision," he goes on, voice wavering on each thrust. "You're what poetry's for."

Thanatos squeezes his eyes shut, slamming his hand down to tangle in the sheets, the other tight around Zag's. He hurdles to the edge of pleasure, Zag filling him and filling him and filling him, mouthing at his cock like he's just as desperate. 

"More," Than cries, "hurry, I need - I need to - "

Zagreus opens his jaw, sucking him down as he fucks him, and Thanatos bucks his hips as he comes. He can hear and feel Zag choking around his length, but gods, he still doesn't let up, just keeps hitting that same addictive spot inside Than at just the right angle until he's begging him to stop with weak shoves to his shoulders.

Zag licks his lips as he pulls away, spit and cum trickling down his chin until he wipes it off with the back of his hand and a lazy smirk that makes his hooded eyes crinkle.

Than's breath hitches with barely contained sobs as he ushers his lover into his arms. Zagreus goes easily, kissing his damp cheeks.

"Shhh, you're alright, Than," he whispers, voice rough. "You did so, so well, my love. _Gods_ …" He slots Than's thigh between his, rutting against him, grunting by his ear. Warmth swells in Than's chest as he lets Zag take his pleasure, smiling through his tears and exhaustion and tightening his arms around Zag's middle. 

"Blood and darkness, that's good," he groans, grinding tight little circles on Than's hard muscle, his cock hot and slick on his skin. "Mmn, gonna come, gonna come…"

He lifts his head to catch Than's mouth in a kiss he moans into, hips swiveling faster and faster until his whole body goes stiff and still with orgasm. After a few moments Zagreus shudders, rolling his hips one last time. He tucks his face into the side of Than's neck, letting his breaths settle, before pushing himself up on his hands and knees and collapsing face-down on the bed next to him. 

Thanatos rolls onto his side to face him, cheeks sticky with drying tears. 

Zagreus peers at him, face half buried in the sheets. The red on his cheek matches them almost perfectly. From the shape of his eye, Thanatos can tell he's smiling, even though his mouth is hidden behind the loose curl of his fist. For a minute or an hour, they just stare.

"You are so unbelievably beautiful," Zagreus murmurs finally. He lifts an arm, tipping back.

Thanatos accepts the silent invitation, exhausted but happy as his still-trembling body crawls into Zag's hot embrace. He tucks his head under Zag's chin, ear pressed to his bicep. One of Than's arms is curled between them, the other draped across his waist. Zagreus hugs him around the shoulders, hooking their legs together. 

"Darling, you're still shaking." His voice is like the crackle of a hearth. "Did I push too hard?"

Thanatos smiles, pressing his face into Zag's chest. "You pushed the perfect amount," he breathes, drowsy fingers petting the sweat-damp skin of Zag's back. 

Zagreus, it seems, can only laugh in response, his voice raw. Thanatos enjoys a few moments of comforting silence before Zagreus adds, "And you like me using your mouth? You like getting me off?" 

He can feel Zag's cheeky smile against the top of his head before Zag kisses him there.

If Thanatos weren't so exhausted, he might be coy. As things are, he only cuddles closer, warming his palm on the small of Zag's back. 

"Of course I do," he mumbles, eyes falling shut. "Your pleasure is my pleasure."

"Oh," Zagreus says softly. He strokes along the path of Than's spine. 

Thanatos can almost hear the cogs turning in Zag's head. "Is that such a shock?" he wonders. 

"It's just nice," Zagreus replies with a one-shouldered shrug, drawing curling patterns on Than's back with a finger. "And you know I feel the same. Seeing you feel good really gets me."

Than allows himself a lazy grin. "As does my accent, apparently."

Zagreus makes a noise somewhere between a groan and a laugh. "I can't help it," he says. "Say 'cock' again."

Than's nose wrinkles. "I will not."

"You're no fun."

"I'll carry that weight." He stifles a yawn in Zag's chest.

"Oh, sweetheart," Zagreus cooes, a hint of humor in his voice. "I've done it now. You're falling asleep, aren't you?"

"You're so warm," Thanatos sighs. 

"Come on, up you get." Zag gently untangles himself from Than, laughing when he groans and tries to cling. 

"Why're you always _moving_ ," he grumbles, refusing to open his eyes. "Always going away."

"Ha!" The mattress dips and the sheets rustle next to him before he feels a dull pinch on his bicep. "I don't want to hear that from you. You disappear on me all the time and I never know when next I'll see you." 

Thanatos softens, slowly opening his eyes. He's relieved to find that Zagreus is smiling down at him. The fingers that pinched Than a moment ago now stroke his skin with the delicacy of a butterfly's wing. 

"Come rest with me," Zagreus murmurs, nodding towards the pillows at the head of the bed. His hand trails up Than's arm before leaving it entirely to brush the hair out of his forehead, tucking it behind his ear. "I'll keep you warm for a while yet."

Thanatos follows him, spellbound. They crawl under the blankets together and Zagreus gives him one last dizzying kiss before rolling onto his side with his head propped up on his elbow. Thanatos mirrors him.

The sheets are damp and warm with sweat and gods know what else. Than tosses a glance at the toy and vial, abandoned at the foot of the bed. 

"We should probably clean up," the responsible part of him says, though it can't quite disguise his displeasure at the idea of getting up. 

Zagreus hums, idle fingers tracing the contours of Than's body, his soft gaze following the motion. Thanatos can't help but smile, seeing the tender focus on his face. It's hard not to feel beautiful with Zagreus looking at him like that. 

"In a minute," Zagreus murmurs, lips quirking up as his hand sweeps down the dip of Than's waist. "I'm busy."

Thanatos closes his eyes and lets himself be admired.

  
  
  
  


**Author's Note:**

> yes i sort of played calvin ball with refractory periods here but theyre gods so its probably fine. hope you had as much fun reading this as i did writing it!! writing characters from greek mythos is fun because it gives me an excuse to include classical allusions and get all flowery and sentimental, which i like. hopefully this wasn't too ooc. let me know what you think!
> 
> if you like this fic and wanna see more from me, im on [twitter](https://twitter.com/waldmotel) and tumblr ([main blog](http://comradesnufkin.tumblr.com//), [art blog](http://luftballons99.tumblr.com/)), where i post my doodles and whatever other dumb shit comes into my brain


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